Religion Canada

The United Church of Canada, the nation's largest Protestant denomination and one of the most powerful social institutions in the country, is on the verge of disintegration in a struggle over homosexuality. Church leaders are considering a report that calls homosexuality "a gift from God," recommends the ordination of homosexuals as ministers and condones not only homosexual relationships but premarital sex between "committed couples."

An influx of immigrants from Asia is keeping Canada's three largest cities from turning into enclaves of secularism. A major Statistics Canada survey shows that religious immigrants from Asia have swept into Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, attending Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Christian institutions. About 50% of the Asian immigrants who came to Canada during the 1990s regularly attend religious services, according to the survey by the federal government's official statistics agency.

Leaders of Canada's largest Protestant denomination, the United Church of Canada, ruled that homosexuals may be considered for the ministry. The 205-160 vote by the church's general council followed months of heated debate in which one-quarter of the church's 4,000 ministers and 30,000 of its 860,000 members signed a declaration opposing the ordination of homosexuals. The decision could lead to a possible schism in the church.

The first scientific survey of mosques has found that organized Islam in the United States and Canada, although growing rapidly, is no larger than a small Christian denomination of about 500,000 adherents--a finding which may sharply lower many previous estimates of the total Muslim population.

The Anglican Church of Canada lost 56,000 members, or about 6.5% of its membership, between 1985 and 1987, according to recently released statistics. The latest information on the church's membership, covering the year 1987, showed parish rolls reporting 808,220 members, down substantially from the 864,814 recorded in 1985. The number of confirmed members, normally used as the membership figure for Anglicans, dropped less precipitously, about 4%, from 570,240 in 1985 to 545,939 in 1987.

The first scientific survey of mosques has found that organized Islam in the United States and Canada, although growing rapidly, is no larger than a small Christian denomination of about 500,000 adherents--a finding which may sharply lower many previous estimates of the total Muslim population.

An influx of immigrants from Asia is keeping Canada's three largest cities from turning into enclaves of secularism. A major Statistics Canada survey shows that religious immigrants from Asia have swept into Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, attending Buddhist, Sikh, Hindu, Muslim and Christian institutions. About 50% of the Asian immigrants who came to Canada during the 1990s regularly attend religious services, according to the survey by the federal government's official statistics agency.

Amir Hussain will never forget his first meeting with Wilfred Cantwell Smith, probably the greatest scholar of Islam and comparative religion that Canada has ever produced. It was a decade ago, recalls Hussain, who now heads the Islamic Studies Program at Cal State Northridge. At the time, however, the 34-year-old assistant professor was a nervous graduate student about to make his first important academic presentation before the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion.

Writers from around the Tribune Co. discuss who came out on top after the NHL's extended labor dispute, which appeared to come to an end with a tentative agreement on Sunday. Feel free to join the conversation with a comment of your own. Harvey Fialkov, South Florida Sun Sentinel Although NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the greedy owners got their 50-50 hockey-related revenue split, a 7% percent decrease for the players, NHLPA leader Donald Fehr got the better of the deal on maximum length of contracts, next year's $64.3-million salary cap and a more defined pension plan.

Before AIDS, the brawlers of the NHL wore blood--their own and their opponents'--as a badge of courage. Now, it is a sign of a troubled age. Before AIDS, the playboys in the league proudly spun their tales of conquest. Now, they speak in hushed tones, if at all. No sport has been hit harder by the threat of AIDS than hockey since international AIDS Day last year.

The Anglican Church of Canada lost 56,000 members, or about 6.5% of its membership, between 1985 and 1987, according to recently released statistics. The latest information on the church's membership, covering the year 1987, showed parish rolls reporting 808,220 members, down substantially from the 864,814 recorded in 1985. The number of confirmed members, normally used as the membership figure for Anglicans, dropped less precipitously, about 4%, from 570,240 in 1985 to 545,939 in 1987.

Leaders of Canada's largest Protestant denomination, the United Church of Canada, ruled that homosexuals may be considered for the ministry. The 205-160 vote by the church's general council followed months of heated debate in which one-quarter of the church's 4,000 ministers and 30,000 of its 860,000 members signed a declaration opposing the ordination of homosexuals. The decision could lead to a possible schism in the church.

The United Church of Canada, the nation's largest Protestant denomination and one of the most powerful social institutions in the country, is on the verge of disintegration in a struggle over homosexuality. Church leaders are considering a report that calls homosexuality "a gift from God," recommends the ordination of homosexuals as ministers and condones not only homosexual relationships but premarital sex between "committed couples."